I just...

[Carruthers]

Originally Posted by glatt

My mom has some sort of blutooth transmitter from a box she connects to the tv and it sends a signal directly into her hearing aids so her hearing aids transmit the tv sound. Other people in the room can listen to the tv at a comfortable volume, and she can listen at her own volume.

There's a similar sort of gizmo available here, but Dad is not very good with technology. Coupled with the fact that he is monumentally impatient it would be an expensive mistake to go down that route.

Speaking of expensive mistakes, I bought a satellite box some while back which he won't use. On the rare occasions I use it, he sits there with the remote for the TV and wonders why none of the buttons work.

He'll express surprise at the channels available on satellite when I find something different from the usual fare, but he soon forgets about it and we're back to square one.

I seem to spend much of my time on the Internet at the other end of the house but I then feel guilty about the old man in the other room sitting by himself watching TV.

[xoxoxoBruce]

He's dependent on other people for everything in life except the TV. It's the one thing he has left he hasn't lost control of, and guards it jealously. Sounds like Alzheimer's symptoms. It also sounds like you hate confrontation and avoid it at all costs. The proper Englishman stereotype, not saying that's a bad thing, just an observation.

Now I've been wearing hearing aids for 33 years x replace every 3 years x 2 ears = a shitload of hearing aids. I've never owned one that varied the volume with battery strength. Volume remained where it was set until the voltage dropped below a certain level, then the sound would shut off. Some had a warning where it would beep a couple times, every few minutes, for the last hour or so, but never changed volume.

[Carruthers]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

He's dependent on other people for everything in life except the TV. It's the one thing he has left he hasn't lost control of, and guards it jealously. Sounds like Alzheimer's symptoms. It also sounds like you hate confrontation and avoid it at all costs. The proper Englishman stereotype, not saying that's a bad thing, just an observation.

Now I've been wearing hearing aids for 33 years x replace every 3 years x 2 ears = a shitload of hearing aids. I've never owned one that varied the volume with battery strength. Volume remained where it was set until the voltage dropped below a certain level, then the sound would shut off. Some had a warning where it would beep a couple times, every few minutes, for the last hour or so, but never changed volume.

Dad is still pretty sharp although not the force he was ten or twenty years ago but you're right, I do tend to avoid confrontation because it is so wearing.

If you're looking for my English stiff upper lip, it's just above my English flabby lower lip.

[xoxoxoBruce]

I've seen Alzheimer's give someone trouble recalling some things, but cock sure about what they feel is true. The path of least resistance can be a wise method of self-preservation, especially for a gentleman.